Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-10-12
4You are pretty. child. and. you are tall. "

~You are pretty. child, and you are tall"
sI am past 1G."
'What color is your hair?'
ssIt is light brown. My eyes are blue"
All this time her busy, sensitive fingers
were passing lightly over my face.
"Your name is Pleasance. Your
father, John Huntspill tells me, was
ships carpenter. Your guardian one
Daniel CULVER, has gone to sea, and you
were left alone. My son William has
fallen in love with you. You are be-
trothed to each other without the formal
ity of asking my consent. 1t was wrong
in nv son. trust, my dear, that what l
see of you will induce me to grant that
consent. We have time before us, during
which we may do the best to learn
each others ways and character. BE
sure that in all you do I shall be always
watching you, blind as am. You may
kiss me, Pleasance."
kissed her fingers, but she drew me to
herself and kissed my forehead. Pres.
emily, to my distress. John Huntsn'i'
went away, and I was left alone with
madam.
She began by asking me how used to
spend my days, what I used to read, OF
what character were my religious oppor-
tunities, and other questions designed to
bring out exactly what knew and how l
thought. Then she told me that John
Huntspill had prepared a report Of my
general ignorance, for which care would
be Immediately taken. She informed me,
further, that. q skillful governess, aided by
all kinds of masters, would begin their
labors with me the very next morning.
She ended in her stately way:
''William did not wait for my consent,
nor did you know, perhaps, that it is un-
becoming Of maiden to engage her
self without that consent Neverthe-
less, should you be diligent and prove
yourself possessed of the aptitude and
the qualities which he believes to be in
you, that consent will not be withheld.
Understand me, Pleasance, William is OF age,
and in two years time or SO will be called
upon to assume the chief command OF this
great firm. He can marry without my con-
sent, if he wishes. For your own happiness,
and in obedience to the Fifth Commandment,
you will study to obtain my approval. DO
not deny that I could have wished-yes, that
l most strongly wished-my son to form an
try to remove this disappointment"
Then my new manner OF life began. 1t
was, indeed, different from the old.
Every morning I practiced for two hours
OH the pianoforte, or harpsichord, as madam
called it. After breakfast came the masters.
There was NJ Ellie Lemoine, master of dancing
and deportment-he was my favorite, because
took to dancing with great readiness;
singing master; refugee French lady, OF
courtly manners, to teach me French; one OF
The clerks, an elderly man with wife and
large family, permitted to increase his income
by giving me lessons in writing; and pro
fessor of elocution, who taught ME to read
with propriety.
With all this work before me, I had little
time to think about poor Will. One day,
however, John Huntspill came to see me, and
requested that would favor him by walking
in the square with him for few minutes.
He told ME t at madam was growing anx-
ious about her son. His story, to put her of
the scent, was that he was going to the West
Indies. And the West Indian mails had come
in, but no letter, naturally enough, had Az
rived from Will Campion.
Everything depends" he said, ION there
being no inquiry. have, for my own part,
ascertained by Portsmouth correspondent,
in whom can trust, that Mr.. William is now
ut sea- Madam would die Of shame were she
to learn the truth. see nothing for it but to
feign Il letter from him. have written 1t,
and propose to bring it tomorrow as coming
from the office. 1t will doubtless be for you to
read it aloud. We are embarked in course
of falsehoods; from one deceit springs many.
Far, far better had Mr.. William at once con-
fessed his name and position, and obtained, as
he certainly would have done, his majesty $
pardon for u boyish escapade."
Yes, we were indeed embarked in course
of fasehood Not one letter did we write,
but many-fcur every year. John Huntspill
wrote them, getting his descriptions OF West
India scenery from all sorts of sources, avoid
ing the islands OF Jamaica, Barbados and
st. kits, in which the house had corre-
spondents. Then he would bring in his pre-
cious missive, announcing calmly that mail
was in from the West indies, bringing let
ter for madam. Lady Campion always took
it, felt II, remarked how the smell of the YES
sci clung to the paper, and then putting it
into my hands, commanded me to read it.
No letter really came from Will at all. He
was fighting the French somewhere That
made me tremble at night, thinking of the
almost daily news, shouted about the streets,